Short Story: "The Spring Wind Is" #ThreeDialoguePrompts

[side Saki]

I take my loafers out of the shoe locker.
They are loafers that have worn in well to my feet, with just a slight bit of fading.
I place them gently beyond the duckboards and slip my feet in. I pull the heel up a little with my finger.

The kids leaving with their friends treat me like air, not noticing a thing. The same goes for the kids walking through the hallway or doing after-school activities.

I exit the entrance. The days have gotten longer, I think, squinting at the still-bright evening light.

I get cold easily, so I'm still wearing my coat, but I can feel the signs of spring coming soon. I wish the season where I don't have to be cold just wearing a blazer would come sooner.

Glancing at the tiny, grain-like buds swelling slightly on the cherry tree, I head toward the school gate.
Slowing my pace, I cast a glance at the staff entrance.
The person standing beyond the parked cars notices me immediately and starts walking toward me with a natural gait, yet at a pace only I would recognize as hurried.

I pretend not to notice at all and stop at the school gate. I take my smartphone out of my pocket, stare at the screen, and swipe through a timeline I'm not even looking at.

When he—Mr. Harayama—stands next to me, I don't even look at him and turn my feet toward the way home.

I know without looking. Mr. Harayama is smiling and walking beside me.

"...Spring is getting closer, isn't it?"

At that trivial remark, I pull up the collar of my coat to hide my mouth, hoping he won't notice my heart pounding unbelievably fast.

[side Yuka]

Haruki walks up the stairs leading to the roof, humming a tune. At his fingertips, he spins the plastic tag keychain attached to the roof key.

"Haruki, you're always slacking off on the roof, but why do you have the key? Isn't that managed by the staff room?"

Haruki snorts and a look of triumph appears in his eyes.

"Yuka, did you forget I'm an astronomy club member? The astronomy club room has a key to the roof. Besides, I'm good friends with Mori-cchi."

"Is the astronomy club advisor Mr. Mori? And to begin with, there are barely any members, right? Is it even functioning as a club?"

"They say if no new members join next year, it'll be disbanded. I wonder what will happen to this key then—that'd be a problem."

"The fact that there's a key that exists solely for you to slack off is a more serious problem."

Haruki laughs it off with an "ahaha," and with practiced hands, inserts the key into the doorknob of the roof and turns it.

The view brightens. The soft light of the sunset.

"Oh, it's still bright. Yuka, I'll show you to the best seat in the house."

Saying that, Haruki nimbly climbs up the ladder that goes one level higher.

"W-wait a second, you're going all the way up there?"

"We're on the roof, after all. You want to feel the wind with an open view from the highest point, right? Come on, hurry."

Haruki, who has already climbed to the top, looks down and urges me on as I hesitate. I climb the ladder with some hesitation. I wonder if I'll really get in trouble for this, I think, stepping on the ladder one rung at a time to confirm the cold, rusty feel of it.

When I reach the top, Haruki is already sitting, leaning back on his hands with his legs stretched out.
His short hair flutters in the wind, and he squints his eyes as if it feels good.

"You finally made it. Sit down."

I feel my cheeks get a little hot as Haruki pats the spot next to him, urging me to sit.

"...My skirt will get dirty."

Haruki furrows his brow at my refusal.

"...Then do you want to sit on me? ...Just kidding."

"...You're getting too carried away."

A slightly cold, yet lukewarm early spring breeze blows between the two of us.

Even though the view is wide open, I find myself looking at the path to school. The road I always walk is far away, small, and I can see everything from a bird's-eye view.
It looks like a miniature.

As I trace the road to the station with my eyes, I spot someone I recognize.

"...Saki and Mr. Harayama are walking together."

"Eh, seriously?"

Haruki also stands up and looks in the direction I'm pointing.

"Whoa, you're right. Are they in that kind of relationship?"

"If so, that's crazy. Saki, she's got a quiet face but she's bold."

"Maybe it's just a coincidence?"

"If it were a coincidence, I'd want to walk to the station with Mr. Harayama too—I'm so jealous."

At my words, Haruki looks at my face. He starts to say something with his mouth open, then looks me in the eye with a serious expression.

"Are you really jealous? Isn't it much more special to be up here on the roof catching the wind with me?"

I lose my words for a moment and look away.
Haruki doesn't look away.
After words race through my mind, I look back at Haruki.

"...The special thing with Haruki and my longing for Mr. Harayama are different things, aren't they?"

At those words, Haruki is surprised for a moment, then smiles while furrowing his brow as if troubled.

"You're sly, Yuka."

"...I wonder which one of us is sly."


A cold yet lukewarm wind blows between the two of us again.

I wish a strong wind would blow.

For me, and for Saki, the first storm of spring hasn't blown yet.

■ Dialogue
"You're sly"
■ Three Prompts
・Rooftop
・First storm of spring
・Loafers

I wrote this here! 🙇‍♀️